Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 442

【My dear, I'm flying to Rivercrest City next week. I've been invited to speak at your alma mater, Rivercrest University, for the graduation ceremony. We must see each other.】

Bianca's fingers tightened around her phone. After a moment, she looked up. "Mother," she said, a new resolve in her voice, "I think I have a solution."

…

Three days before the Annual Riverside Business Assembly, Wade Harcourt's secretary delivered the official invitation list to Noreen at Winrich for her review. Her eyes scanned the names until they landed on a familiar one. She paused for only a fraction of a second before continuing down the list.

"This is the primary list of invitees," the secretary explained. "The list of accompanying partners will be sent over later."

Meanwhile, Seth informed Bianca about the upcoming assembly. Her interest was immediately piqued. The guest list was a who's who of the business world, a gold mine of resources and opportunities. She was trying to figure out how to ask if she could attend when Seth spoke.

"You should go to Myriad Atelier this afternoon," he said. "Pick out a beautiful gown for yourself."

Bianca's heart fluttered. She looked at Seth, her eyes filled with adoration. No matter what happened, no matter what the world said, he always stood firmly by her side. The stress that had been weighing on her for days evaporated in the warmth of his unwavering support. This was a devotion Noreen had never earned in seven years.

In the end, Noreen had already lost. There was no reason to even consider her a rival.

While Bianca was joyfully selecting a gown at the exclusive boutique, Noreen received the second list. She wasn't surprised to see Bianca's name on it as Seth's plus-one. After confirming the details, she placed a video call to Claire Chase for help choosing her own attire.

When Claire heard Noreen was attending a major assembly, she thumped her chest dramatically. "Don't you worry! I will find you a dress that will leave every single person in that room speechless!"

"That might be a bit much," Noreen laughed. "I'm attending on Mr. Harcourt's behalf. It's probably best not to be too ostentatious."

"The only thing that has power over me anymore is poverty," Noreen replied.

Claire was in awe. After a few more minutes of chatter, they ended the call. Just as Claire was about to start a new show, her phone rang again. She scowled at the caller ID. She wanted to ignore it, but the caller was persistent.

"What do you want?" she answered, her voice dripping with annoyance. "I'm busy! You have plenty of other women. Just ask one of them to go with you… Don't worry, I won't say a word… I'm hanging up now."

She ended the call without another word. This was the nature of their relationship: a marriage of convenience, with no need for unnecessary emotional entanglement.

…

On the day of the summit, Bianca made a grand entrance on Seth's arm, her attire deliberately extravagant. Their joint appearance was a clear message to the world: their relationship was unshaken. She was still the woman he cherished.